War Cardigan
by ChipmonkOnSpeed
Summary: Molly Weasley's night leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts. Arthur Weasley's thoughts are in chapter two. Movieverse.
1. Battle Never Looked So Motherly

**.**

**War Cardigan  
**(Battle Never Looked So Motherly)

The Burrow, home to so many generations of Weasleys, sat with an air of unnatural quiet. After being home to so many children shouting, running, laughing, fighting, and crying, the quiet felt wrong to Molly Weasley. Growing up, her own brothers Gideon and Fabian had kept their home loud and raucous. Her babies were all grown up, even her youngest, Ginny. Though only sixteen, the young woman had proven to be far more mature than most her age.

Molly was sitting in the family room, which through the years had often been packed full of redheads with grins and freckles, but recently had felt more and more deserted. The family Matriarch could admit that she still heard the shrill giggles and happy shouts when she was alone in the dark of night. The haunted feel of the home left her lonelier than she could ever remember being in her life, and it left her much time to reminisce and think of days gone by.

She did not sleep much, not since Mad-Eye had died. Not since the Headmaster had died. If Molly was honest with herself, she had slept less and less since she received a letter from Minerva McGonagall about her youngest boy fighting (and beating!) a troll during the Halloween Feast of his First Year. Young Ronald had caused her much stress, but she could not be more proud of the man he had become. He had overcome his fears of his brothers overshadowing him, and he was shining brightly in his own extraordinary way.

Then there was Harry Potter, Ron's "brother from another mother," as Fred had put it during their Third Year. Harry had caused her anxiety, anger, fear, and pride, sometimes all at once, but he had grown into such a strong, fearless man that Molly would not trade those moments for all the gold in Gringotts. She was just thankful that Hermione had always been there, picking up the pieces or gently guiding them with her iron will. Those two had been so good for Ronald, Molly promised herself that whatever may happen, they would always have a place in her home.

A familiar sound caught her attention, not for its importance but for its recent infrequency. Arthur had wrested it away from her and restored it to its rightful place just days before, stating that since eight of the nine hands pointed to "Mortal Peril", looking at it could do nothing but depress her. She looked up from her knitting in time to see Ronald's hand on the family clock move from "Missing," where it had been for months, to "School." Molly paused for a moment to notice that someone, most likely one of the twins, had pasted pictures of Hermione and Harry to Ron's hand on the clock. Reminding herself to thank the twins later for their inclusion of the two, Molly told herself that the only way Ron's hand, which had been confused by various hiding charms Ron was under to stay away from Snatchers, would read "School" was if he had gone to Hogwarts. And if he was at Hogwarts. . .

Arthur entered the home from where he had been checking the wards in the yard. Molly knew from the way he looked at her that something had happened. She knew that nothing would be the same come morning. Molly finished the last few loops with her knitting needles and stood, holding out her new cardigan to check the sizing before slipping it on. She walked into the kitchen and took the kettle off the enchanted stove, as no one would need it in the near future. Placing their uneaten dinner in the cooling box and turning off the lights in the home, Molly took her husband's arm and disappeared into the darkest of nights without a word.

_Several hours later…_

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"


	2. The Paternal Side of Battle

**The Paternal Side of Battle**

Arthur Weasley moved slowly about his garden, concentrating on his task and focusing his magic. He was searching for weaknesses in the wards around his home, the home where he had raised all of his children, where he had spent the happiest moments of his entire life. Abandoning the home had torn his heart apart, as it had felt like the last straw for his happy little family. They had not been together as a family in many years, save for the disastrous attempt at the beginning of summer, nor had there been much happiness in the moments they had spent in small gatherings.

Molly had become despondent, and it had taken a passionate intervention quite unlike Arthur to get her to place the family clock back on the wall in the living room. He had been against Molly coming with him while he checked the wards, but she had been insistent that she needed to be in her home for an hour or two. She was clearly going stir crazy in Shell Cottage. With Ron off rescuing the world with Harry Potter, and Ginny in a school run by Voldemort and George losing his ear and the million other things going on, Arthur was rather surprised either of them were holding it together.

As he often did, Arthur began thinking of his children, even as his search of the wards continued. Bill was married to a wonderful woman, but the Death Eaters had ruined their wedding, which any wizard could read as a bad omen. Charlie was back in Romania, attempting to find witches and wizards friendly to their cause. Percy was in hiding somewhere in Ireland, last Arthur had heard. The Ministry ran him out of his job, along with Arthur, when they discovered Ron's deception. Fred and George, his two little rebels, were working on producing useful gadgets for the Light, finally using there enormous intelligence for something Arthur could publicly approve of (as his approval of most of their wrongdoing usually got him in hot water with Molly.)

Breath caught in his throat as he thought of his two youngest. Ron, his youngest, had spent much of his time with Arthur puttering about Muggle contraptions, feeding the chickens, or swimming in the lake. He had been very lonely when his brothers had gone to school, as the absence of five rowdy boys was very noticeable. During those times, Arthur had relished his time with Ron, who was often jealous of his brother's accomplishments and the recognition they got for them. That sweet little boy was, at that moment, far away. It might well have been a million miles, even galaxies. He was off on a mission with his two best friends, the two best friends he could ever hope to have, and facing dangers Arthur could not imagine. He had not seen his son in many months, and a small, dark part of his brain wondered if he would ever see him again.

His thoughts wandered to Ginny, his only girl, his youngest child. Circumstance trapped her at Hogwarts, a school run by Severus Snape, the man who had murdered Albus Dumbledore. He was a Death Eater, a follower of Voldemort. Arthur could not believe he had been so wrong about the man, or even that Dumbledore had been so wrong about him. Now the man was in charge of Hogwarts, and Arthur could do nothing but know his lovely daughter was suffering there. He had heard little scraps of news or rumors, and it did nothing to ease his guilt. He hoped one day, when it was all over and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was a distant memory, that she could forgive him.

He hoped he could forgive himself.

As Arthur was inspecting the wards by the chicken coop, a familiar Patronus leapt out of the trees to his left. Kingsley's voice informed him it was time to assemble. The war was coming to a head, and it was happening at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there, and they were going to confront Snape.

Arthur sighed, a bone-weary sound in the relative silence of the night. He turned and headed back into his home, wondering what words to use to inform Molly. How could a tell a woman who would risk her own life to have dinner in her family home once every few weeks that her family was in so much more danger now than they had ever been? How could he tell her that her worst fear, confirmed by the Boggart three years previous, could very well come true that night? Those thoughts slipped away as he looked at his wife of so many years.

She knew.


End file.
